Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for sending me an eARC of this book. Below is my honest review!

This is the first gothic horror fantasy book I’ve ever read and, wow, I was not ready for how dark this book is. Because of that, I put the content warnings at the end for anyone who may be interested in reading this book.

What I liked about this book: the main character is compelling and incredibly multidimensional, and I thought her character arc was great. There’s a bit of a mystery in this book, and I thought it was handled really well. This book was mostly ~vibes~ so if you are here for that sort of thing you will love this book!

My main complaints about this book were personal in nature. I learned through reading this book that gothic horror is just not for me. The subject matter is darker than I personally like, but again, if you love gothic horror or that gothic vibe, then you would probably love this book.

‼️Content warnings: eating disorders (specifically purging - on page), self harm, sexual assault (on page), abuse, sex, animal death, death of a loved one, cannibalism, pedophilia & body horror

*THANK YOU TO NETGALLEY AND THE PUBLISHER FOR PROVIDING ME WITH AN ARC!!*

Marlinchen is one of three daughters born to a wizard father and mortal mother. At age 13, their mother is turned into a bird by a bit of accidental magic, and Marlinchen and her sisters must learn how to grow and manage their budding witch magic under the rule of their tyrannical father. Ten years after the death of their mother, strange things start to happen in their hometown of Oblya, and the timid Marlinchen is pushed out of her comfort zone by the mysteries and romance of a city she has yet to experience.

The book is a treasure. Ava Reid has such a unique voice, and she writes of horrible and obscene things in an almost unbelievably beautiful way.

I’m a sucker for fairytale retellings, so my interest in this was piqued regardless, but this story transcends. It’s rich, it’s descriptive, its at times disgusting and vile, but it’s never anything short of amazing. I was a big fan of her debut, and I can say with certainty that this is even better.

Another utterly engrossing book by Ava Reid!!! This was the darkly lyrical, lush, gothic fantasy novel that read more like folklore of old. It is a retelling of the Juniper Tree legend. I pretty much devoured this, much like some of the characters in this book devour their meals.

I went into this book with high expectations (because how could I not after TWATW?), and was thoroughly impressed by it. Reid has made it clear that this book is not in the same vein as TWATW, as J&T is much more of a gothic horror novel with romantic elements. I love a good horror novel and this book just… was SO GOOD. (That being said, please check trigger warnings before reading).

This is a novel about being included inside a narrative over and over again even if they don’t want to be. Marlinchen has a very unique narrative voice, and because of this, I will be ordering the audiobook too. It has elements of a Bildungsroman as Marlinchen learns to navigate the confines of the story she finds herself stuck in. The love interest, Sevas, is so soft for Marlinchen. It’s hard for any character to compare to Gaspar for me, but Sevas is just as tender and thoughtful. He has his own obstacles to overcome, but he and Marlinchen bond over their shared trauma. They don’t deal with it in the typical way fantasy novels depict, which I liked, because not everyone has to or can deal with it in a direct way.

The imagery? Fantastic. The prose? Lyrical, detailed, and captivating in an enthralling and horrific way. The characters? Authentic and unique. It reminds me of Little Dorrit/ Bleak House by Dickens (i.e. a setting of a decrepit gothic house in a gritty urban city), The Winternight Trilogy by Katherine Arden (by the culture, prose, and Russian/Ukranian inspired setting), and some Brothers Grimm folklores (in the dark fairytale sense).

Again, I can’t wait to see what Reid comes up with next. I’m already waiting with bated breath, and I am excited to listen to the audiobook when it releases. Thank you Netgalley for the e-arc! It did not affect my review in anyway.

I adore unique fiction, and this is such an interesting premise. I recommend because of the story itself, writing style, and its ability to transport you into a different world.

How to even put into words the way this story enraptured me?

Juniper & Thorn is a fairytale unparalleled — a visceral, Grimmesque horror softened by a swathe of pearly hope. Whimsy and macabre entwined; nightmares dancing with dreams; a split womb of the mundane and magical.

The prose is enchanting. Its words sow seeds, grow roots, burgeon into something you never could have imagined, something that belongs nowhere and everywhere at once.

Ava Reid’s stories are important, classic, and infinitely relevant. They don’t shy away from disturbing motifs (content warnings aplenty) — they embrace everything they are supposed to be and it is unexplainably tremendous.

J&T has a permanent place in my soul.

3.75/5

This book is not for the faint of heart. Do not be fooled by the plain-faced naive girl introduction or the instalove to the I can't believe he's into me hot guy, this book is not pleasant. Its dark and disturbing and explores many different types of abuse.

I thought it was fantastic.

I honestly eyerolled at the first couple of chapters. I thought, OK here we go. We've got the "unattractive MC but my sisters are super hot" trope combined with a semi instalove to a guy of unattainable quality. I mean, don't get me wrong.. I read books like this on the daily, haha, I truly enjoy YA but I had been expecting something grittier. And I got it.

Ava Reid's prose is amazing. I was captivated from the start (also was so certain the monster under the bed was going to just be a plain old cat haha). I LOVED the twist and really wish more time had been spent exploring that. I also would've liked to know more about her sisters, especially why they hate Marlinchen so much. Its touched upon, but feels a little too surface.

Overall it was a great read. Perfect if you're looking for something truly dark. Just be certain to look up all the trigger warnings as I don't think this will be a read for everyone.

Thank you NetGalley and publishers for the ARC!

From the description, I thought I would love this novel-length fairy tale. I tried my best to like it. But this book was unfortunately Not It.

One of the biggest things, for me, was that the story had no humor and very little light. Additionally, the pacing of the plot was confusing, things that didn’t make any sense at all kept happening, almost all of the characters were antagonists, and the writing was more distracting than it was atmospheric. Sometimes the writing was clever and it explained things in such a specific way, and so perfectly — I wanted more of those paragraphs. But more often, we just had prose that was too purple *even for me* alongside an excessive number of analogies. Sometimes we used more than one analogy to describe the same thing. It was A LOT. (I will say, though, that as I read more and more, I got used to the writing so it wasn’t as distracting, but I never truly appreciated it like I wanted to.)

I almost DNF’d this book at least a dozen times, because of these reasons and more (I only kept reading because I’m a masochist and because other reviewers were very convincing). In the end, I think I’m glad I finished the book? I was definitely interested the whole time to see what would happen, and I would have always wondered, but at the same time I don’t like how it ended, or how we got there, so it was really a case of me desperately wanting to love something that was never going to be for me. I loved the concept and a number of the tropes and some of the themes but I just hated reading the book.

I will say, though, that this is one of the most true-to-form Grimm retellings I’ve ever come across. It really dipped into the darkness of Grimm fairy tales in the right way and I liked the aspects of “The Juniper Tree” that it used. The tone and the mood never felt forced. So major props for that, honestly.

If I wasn’t such a character-driven reader, I might have liked this far better.

Juniper & Thorn is a gothic horror fairytale retelling that doesn't disappoint on any front. Every aspect of the book shows a stunning duality - the magic that is both beautiful and terrifying, the world that is both old and new, and the characters that are both kind and cruel. This book is a nightmare of a dream—both the monster under your bed and the lover at your back.

I've always been a sucker for gothic horror, so adding in dark fairytale elements and a dash of spice is the easiest way to make me fall for a story. Throw in some viciously captivating prose and complex characters, and you've got me foaming at the mouth.

Marlinchen is sweet but frustratingly naive at times, so watching her character develop was deeply satisfying. But, of course, nothing was more satisfying than Sevas. He jeté'd his way right into my heart, and he is there to stay. All the characters did, really - even the villains. I love to hate them, which makes them quality characters in my book.

The only tiny qualm I initially had with the narrative is that it is very heavy with metaphors and similes, which I'm usually not a fan of because, more often than not, it comes off as excessive and redundant. However, Ava Reid writes them in such a polished and compelling way that I ended up loving every one! This one was my absolute favorite:

"All around us, Oblya gasped and panted like a woman in a too-small corset. Artisan schools and almshouses burst from between its ivory boning. An eye clinic and an electric station flowered up in two quick exhales. And then, at last, the ballet theater, with a breath that ripped the corset's seams and exposed Oblya's pale, heaving chest. Tourists walked from one of her bared nipples to the other, from the Yehuli temple to the onion dome of the oldest church. They gathered at the ballet theater in the valley of her breasts, right above her beating heart."

Just - UGH, *chef's kiss*! The rest of the book is just as exquisite, I assure you. There are just so many twists and turns and darkness and light, and as otherwordly as it is, there are moments of the mundane that make it so relatable. Overall, the book is hauntingly beautiful and makes me so excited to read another book with Ava Reid's gorgeous prose.

Rating: 4.5/5 stars rounded up to 5!

Thank you, NetGalley and Harper Voyager, for the ARC!

This dark (and at times, I mean pretty dark) fairytale just did it for me. The story takes a look at the lies and secrets within a family, exposing them inch by inch in a gripping and terrifying way.

There was a certain flow to Reid’s writing that picked me up and carried me late into the night, unable to put the book down and go the bed. Most scenes are filled with ominous tones, like one of the monsters from the book hovering around the corner. There are a thousand soft corners and you have no idea when the monster will reveal itself. Not unlike being caught in the current of a fever dream you can’t wake from.

I enjoyed the imagery and prose-like descriptions of the main character, Marlinchen's, environment and feelings. The prose gave this book a feeling of earthy substance and greasy trepidation.

Nothing, however, pierced my defenses, nor my heart, more than Sevas, whom I will only ever think about constantly.

Thank you to Netgalley as well as Avon and Harper Voyager for this e-arc in exchange for my honest review.

An equally gripping and horrifying story, Juniper & Thorn by Ava Reid explores what lies beneath the surface of those around us. Will we find beauty in those who are beautiful? Or will we find monsters, waiting to devour us? Juniper & Thorn follows Marlinchen, who lives with her two sisters and her wizard father in a city that has turned away from magic to industry and science. Zmiy Vashchenko keeps his daughters under tight control, as he lives in fear of the progress taking place in the city surrounding them. He has been cursed, and is never satisfied; his hunger never fully satiated. One night, after their father goes to sleep, Marlinchen sneaks out of the house with her older sisters, and goes to the ballet. There she begins to learn that there is beauty in the city outside the world of the Vashchnko home, and not just monsters, like she has been told.

Juniper & Thorn is based on the fairytale of the Juniper Tree. I will leave you to look up the origin and synopsis of the fairy tale. The themes of the fairytale read as a list of trigger warnings for this book. Without giving spoilers, I will just say that this story is very dark and disturbing. I was left at the end wondering what it all means. That being said, this story was so beautifully and heartbreakingly well-done, the horror of the story falls a little softer than it otherwise would.

If you are looking for a dark, horror fairytale retelling, this one isn't for the faint of heart. But, it is well worth the time you spend in it, as you begin to unravel with Marlinchen the mysteries surrounding her life, and the murders taking place in the city, all while she begins to experience falling in love with a similarly broken person.

Thank you to @netgalley and @Avon and @harpervoyager for the free ARC provided in exchange for an honest review.

I absolutely loved this book. I love how it’s a Brother’s Grimm tale told from first person and how it retained the unflinching graphic accounts Brother’s Grimm is known for. It completely enthralled me, much like how Marlinchen fell for Sevas. I felt every emotion Marlinchen felt thanks to Ava Reid’s meticulous descriptions. Anyone who is a fan of Germanic storytelling and the macabre will love this novel. There were a couple word errors but it will probably be fixed before print!

I loved Ava Reid's debut "The Wolf and the Woodsman" and although I didn't love this one as much, I still enjoyed it. Reid's writing style is so vivid that it really uses all five senses to create a picture that is truly transportive. The setting and story and characters were so unique and everything felt so real. Overall it was a beautiful book, but it is definitely much gorier than her first novel so make sure you are aware of that before you read.

Wow. Just wow. I was blown away by this book.

It was definitely a steady uphill climb. I wasn’t sure what to make of it in the beginning, since it came off very YA. The reason I think this is because the first chapter had a lot of YA tropes, like the “getting ready scene,” mean older sisters, and that Marlinchen was abnormally shy and incapable of taking care of herself, like she was 13 instead of 23. It gave me whiplash once the adult themes came in at the end of the first chapter.

That being said, the book settles into the gothic novel after the first chapter. We get the weird, the dreamlike state, the intense savagery of human emotions, the surprising and dark metaphors and similes. The language on a sentence-level was the strength here. Lots of good, strong nouns and verbs.

This book isn’t perfect, there was a lot of repetition of flushing and blushing and other phrases, but I hella enjoyed this.

First thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing an ARC for review. All opinions are my own.

Wow, just wow. I’m not even sure how to review this, but it’s a masterpiece. It is dark and horrifying, sweet and heartbreaking, ugly and beautiful. The writing is amazing. This story completely gets under your skin. There is no exaggeration to how dark this gets at points, so please pay attention to the content warnings. But wow did it keep me on the edge of my seat with a hand over my mouth the whole time. And can we talk about how precious Sevas and Marlinchen are?! I loved them so much.
This story is going to stay with me for such a long time. Its claws will not retract any time soon, and I just can’t say enough how horrifyingly brilliant this was.

"No," I whispered. "I won't let you take their deaths from me. Your love cannot make me less of a monster."
Sevas let out a breath. "I wouldn't presume my love could do such a thing. I would have you as you are, nothing less."

So, i'm a bit conflicted about this book.
I didn't really know what to expect because i'm not familiar with "The Juniper Tree" (which this is a retelling of) but i loved AR's writing style in TWaTW and i love the way she writes horror so i knew i had to read this.

Now, there are elements in this book which i absolutely loved and others that really annoyed me and this where my conflicted feelings come from.
As you can probably guess the dark/gothic horror elements are what i loved, it's a very atmospheric book, though i do find AR's descriptions too detailed and long on occasion.
The love interest, Sevas, was probably my fav character and if it wasn't for him i honestly don't know how i'd have rated this.
What really annoyed me more often than not was the MC - Marlinchen.
I know everyone deals with trauma differently and i understand what type of a character she is but that didn't make her any less annoying or more likeable. She 23 yo and yet often acts and thinks like a 15 yo. And don't even get me started on how many time she said or thought how "ugly" or "plain-faced" she is, 75% into the book i almost lost it after it was repeated close to 10 times in the span of a few chapters. For me she was totally unrelatable and that's why i couldn't love this more.
Her sisters might be cruel and terrible but they were more interesting and more relatable honestly.

I liked the twists at the end, I definitely wasn't expecting them.
All in all, it's a great read especially if you like dark stories with horror elements, but i'd also suggest looking up the trigger warnings (there's plenty of them for J&T), especialy if this is not your typical read.

eternal gratitude to NetGalley, Avon and Harper Voyager for the ARC
all quotes are from an advance copy and may differ in the final publication

If you want a deeply atmospheric read that blends magical, dark and haunting, I would definitely recommend checking out Juniper & Thorn. Ava Reid's prose captured my attention from the very beginning and it never let go.
It's a great atmospheric read with and great world building.
This was my first book by the author, and I look forward to reading more of her work.

Dark, captivating, and clever!

Special thanks to NetGalley and Avon and Harper Voyager for sharing this ARC with me in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you Netgalley and Avon Harper Voyager for allowing me to read and review this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

I haven't read The Wolf and The Woodsman yet though I have the book on my shelf. I was thoroughly enthralled and captivated by Ava Reid's storytelling in Juniper and Thorn. This is a very dark, horror retelling with gruesome imagery that might turn off a few people. I honestly love dark books and authors who aren't afraid to "go there" with their stories and characters.

I'm not as familiar with Juniper and Thorn's original story but I've heard it is a dark tale.

In Juniper and Thorn there are three witch sisters, two very beautiful and one plain faced, who live with their father, the last wizard in Oblya. Sheltered, abused, and "prisoned" in their home, the two beautiful sisters take their plain faced one outside the perimeters of their home. The plain faced one has never left in twenty three years and is taken to a ballet theater where she sees the great dancer Sevas dance to a story she has known all her life. Falling in love with Sevas, Marlinchen rebels against her father to see him which starts a series of unfortunate events as the story progresses.

Marlinchen is the dutiful and pleasing daughter who can see things if she touches flesh. Whereas her older sister Undine, the most beautiful and wicked, can use a scrying pool and Rose, the clever, is a herbalist and creates potions... both are hurtful and consistently blame Marlinchen for all the unfortunate things that happen.

The story is cinematically written and I can picture in my mind every well-written detail. The amount of imagery is astounding, creepy and creates goosebumps on my arms. I feel so sorry for Marlinchen and Sevas, both who have been abused mentally, physically, and emotionally. I'm happy for their ending and how Sevas continues to support Marlinchen as she tries to battle her demons and rise against her father's claws. Marlinchen also supports Sevas with his demons with his mentor and abuser.

Again, this is a darkly written tale that will keep you hooked till the last word.

I plan on reading The Wolf and The Woodsman very soon. I'm very interested in reading more from this author in the future.

5 stars.

3.5 stars. I wasn't really sure what to expect going into this story but I do like most of it. It is gothic horror so I knew there was going to be parts of it that would be disturbing but there was so much in depth description of gore that I couldn't enjoy some parts as much. Also I wasn't a fan of how the author describes women's bodies especially when the character was talking about the time when she was young (around 12 years old). I understand it was important for the plotline but I felt it was too much at some times. There are a lot of trigger warnings for this book and I urge you to look into them because I had no idea what I was getting into in that aspect. Overall I did like the story and wanted to know what was going to happen, I just personally didn't like the writing style.

Thank you to Harper Voyager and Netgalley for the ARC of this title. All opinions are my own.

If there is one thing you should know about Reid's writing, it's the ability that they have to encapsulate emotions and heavy topics with grace, but still use stunning prose as they weave a phenomenal story so gripping you can't put it down. There simply isn't anything I can do but fall more in love with their writing each time I read a work. Juniper and Thorn is a masterfully told horror/fantastical fiction that gives you chills, thrills and such deep astonishment at every single turn!

It's no secret that I absolutely loved The Wolf and the Woodsman, so when I found out that Juniper and Thorn was available for request, I had to request! I was not disappointed, far from it. I was enthralled once again by Reid's ability to create a world so compelling, that even through the horror, I want to be there. Marlinchen will forever hold a special place in my heart. Her grit, determination, and ability to grow even in the context of strife is inspiring. Reid's ability to make even the most difficult of topics easy to relate too, but handled beautifully.

Fair warning to anyone who wants to read this: please check the trigger warnings! This does contain some very heavily/delicate topics. While all the topics are handled with care, it can still be triggering. Some of the topics discussed were things I personally can relate to and I commend Reid for their ability to be able to talk about such things and utilize the grief and struggles that come with these topics in a real way. I can not rave enough about this book or Reid's writing!

If I could recommend this a million times, I would. This is easily one of my, if not my top, favorite horror/fantasy novel I've ever read. Simply put, Reid has done it again!

If you enjoyed the Bloody Chamber by Angela Carter or We Have Always Lived in the Castle by Shirley Jackson this will be wonderful for you. In this situation it’s very much a preference that made me only give this 3 stars. This is truly a gothic horror novel. I’ve seen some people label it as YA or fantasy romance but it is NOT at all. The author even tweeted that this is a very dark and adult book. I think it is important to at least be aware of the plot of the Juniper Tree fairytale before going into this. I did not and I think that would’ve been helpful. This book is truly disturbing, horrific, unsettling and traumatic. It contains pretty much every trigger warning you could imagine. Some books i go into not knowing much about and it works. This one is definitely something I shouldn’t have went into blind. I flew through this book in 2 days. It very much felt like reading a grimm’s fairytale but more modern. My issues with the book are just personal preference. Too disturbing for me and horrifying. I had to skim over some of the graphic scenes and descriptions. I did enjoy most of the writing, but for me when the chapter started with “So here’s what happened…” it felt out of place for the story and it’s content. However, the story is still memorable and will stick with me. I can appreciate the author and the story they created.